Cover member and thermostat device with cover member

Abstract

To prevent falling of a gasket fitting in a groove of a housing of a thermostat device to prevent occurrence of leakage of a coolant.SOLUTION: A cover member 1 is detachably attached to a thermostat device 10 including: a housing 2 having a body part which has an opening at one end and in which a groove is formed so as to surround the opening, and a pair of leg parts which are erected facing each other from an area located at the inner side of the groove and the one end of the body part; and a gasket 25 which is fitted in the groove. The cover member 1 includes: a dish-shaped part 11 having an insertion hole, into which the pair of leg parts is inserted, at the inner side and covering the gasket 25; and a cylindrical part which is erected from an opening edge of the insertion hole and in which the pair of leg parts is press-fitted. A bellows part 13 is formed at a portion, which faces the leg parts, of the cylindrical part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cover member for a gasket that can be attached to a thermostat device, and to a thermostat device with a cover member. [Background technology]

[0002] A thermostat device is installed in the cooling circuit of an engine (internal combustion engine) to adjust the temperature of the coolant. The housing of the thermostat device has an opening at one end, and the edge of the opening is in close contact with a mating member (e.g., a water pump, a water jacket of the engine, etc.) via a gasket that serves as a sealing member. This prevents the coolant in the housing from leaking to the outside. More specifically, an annular groove is formed in the opening end of the housing so as to surround the opening (eg, Patent Document 1), and an annular gasket (eg, Patent Document 2) is fitted into this groove. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-169611 A [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 3310547 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The gasket described in Patent Document 2 has protrusions on its inner and outer periphery to prevent it from falling off, which prevents the gasket from coming off the groove due to vibrations that occur when the thermostat device is transported before being attached to a mating member. However, in order to maintain an appropriate gasket filling rate, it is not possible to increase the number of anti-fall-off protrusions indefinitely, and there are cases in which simply providing anti-fall-off protrusions is not enough to completely prevent the gasket from coming off the groove.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned points, and has an object to provide a cover member and a thermostat device with a cover member that can reliably prevent a gasket from falling off. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] As a first means for solving the above-mentioned problems, the cover member according to the present invention is a cover member that is detachably attached to a thermostat device. The thermostat device includes a housing having a main body having an opening at one end and a groove formed so as to surround the opening, a pair of legs standing opposite each other inside the groove from one end of the main body, and a gasket that fits into the groove. The cover member includes a dish-shaped portion that has an insertion hole on the inside through which the pair of legs are inserted and covers the gasket, and a cylindrical portion that stands from the opening edge of the insertion hole and into which the pair of legs are press-fitted, and a bellows portion is formed in a portion of the cylindrical portion that faces the legs. With this, with the cover member attached to the thermostat device, gasket but dish-shaped part Therefore, the gasket will not fall off.

[0007] As a second means for solving the above problem, a thermostat device with a cover member according to the present invention comprises a thermostat device and a cover member. The thermostat device comprises a housing having a main body having an opening at one end and a groove formed so as to surround the opening, a pair of legs standing opposite each other from one end of the main body inside the groove, and a gasket that fits into the groove. The cover member has an insertion hole on its inside through which the pair of legs are inserted, and comprises a dish-shaped portion that covers the gasket, and a cylindrical portion that stands from the opening edge of the insertion hole and into which the pair of legs are press-fitted, and a bellows portion is formed in a portion of the cylindrical portion that faces the legs. In this manner, with the cover member attached to the thermostat device, gasket but dish-shaped part Therefore, the gasket will not fall off.

[0008] The thermostat device may further include a valve seat formed inside the main body, a thermoelement having one end supported by the main body and expanding and contracting in response to temperature, a valve body that seats and leaves the valve seat in response to the expansion and contraction of the thermoelement, a biasing member that biases the valve body toward the valve seat, and a frame that is supported by the pair of legs and supports one end of the biasing member, and an inwardly protruding inner protrusion is formed on the cylindrical portion of the cover member, the inward protrusion is located closer to the main body than the frame when the cover member is attached to the thermostat device, and when the cover member is attached to or detached from the thermostat device, the inward protrusion and the frame come into contact with each other, causing the inward protrusion to elastically deform. This makes it possible to prevent the cover member from unintentionally coming off the thermostat device due to vibrations during transportation, etc.

[0009] As a third means for solving the above-mentioned problems, the cover member according to the present invention is a cover member detachably attached to a thermostat device. The thermostat device includes a housing having a main body having an opening at one end and a groove formed so as to surround the opening, and a pair of legs standing opposite each other inside the groove from one end of the main body, a gasket that fits into the groove, a valve seat formed inside the main body, a thermoelement having one end supported by the main body and expanding and contracting in response to temperature, a valve body that seats and leaves the valve seat in response to the expansion and contraction of the thermoelement, a biasing member that biases the valve body toward the valve seat, and a frame that is supported by the pair of legs and supports one end of the biasing member. The cover member includes a dish-shaped portion having an insertion hole on the inside thereof through which the pair of legs are inserted and covering the gasket, and a tubular portion standing from an opening edge of the insertion hole and into which the pair of legs are inserted, and an inwardly protruding portion is formed on the tubular portion. The inwardly protruding portion is located closer to the main body portion than the frame when the cover member is attached to the thermostat device, and when the cover member is attached to or detached from the thermostat device, the inwardly protruding portion comes into contact with the frame, and the inwardly protruding portion elastically deforms. With this, with the cover member attached to the thermostat device, gasket but dish-shaped part Therefore, the gasket will not fall off.

[0010] As a fourth means for solving the above problems, a thermostat device with a cover member according to the present invention includes a thermostat device and a cover member. The thermostat device includes a housing having a main body having an opening at one end and a groove formed so as to surround the opening, and a pair of legs standing opposite each other inside the groove from one end of the main body, a gasket that fits into the groove, a valve seat formed inside the main body, a thermoelement having one end supported by the main body and expanding and contracting in response to temperature, a valve body that seats and leaves the valve seat in response to the expansion and contraction of the thermoelement, a biasing member that biases the valve body toward the valve seat, and a frame that is supported by the pair of legs and supports one end of the biasing member. The cover member includes a dish-shaped portion having an insertion hole on the inside thereof through which the pair of legs are inserted and covering the gasket, and a tubular portion standing from an opening edge of the insertion hole and into which the pair of legs are inserted, and an inwardly protruding portion is formed on the tubular portion. The inwardly protruding portion is located closer to the main body portion than the frame when the cover member is attached to the thermostat device, and when the cover member is attached to or detached from the thermostat device, the inwardly protruding portion comes into contact with the frame, and the inwardly protruding portion elastically deforms. In this manner, with the cover member attached to the thermostat device, gasket but dish-shaped part Therefore, the gasket will not fall off.

[0011] The cover member may have one end of the cylindrical portion closed, thereby preventing dust, dirt, etc. from entering the inside of the cover member. To It can prevent intrusion.

[0012] The cover member may have a spherical surface shape, which makes it easier to attach the cover member to the thermostat device. This makes it easier to ensure that the inward protrusions can be hooked onto the frame, and more reliably prevents the cover member from coming off the thermostat device due to vibrations during transportation, etc.

[0013] The cover member may have a recess in a portion of the tubular portion that is located outside the inward protrusion. This allows the inward protrusion to easily deform elastically, making it easier to attach the cover member to the thermostat device. This makes it easier to ensure that the inward protrusion can be hooked onto the frame, and further prevents the cover member from coming off the thermostat device due to vibration during transportation, etc.

[0014] In the thermostat device to which the cover member is attached, the gasket may be formed with a protrusion that protrudes outward from the dish-shaped portion, making it easy to visually confirm that the gasket is attached even in a state in which the cover member is attached to the thermostat device, that is, the thermostat device with the cover member attached. Effect of the Invention

[0015] According to the cover member and the thermostat device with cover member of the present invention, it is possible to reliably prevent the gasket from falling off when the cover member is attached to the thermostat device. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view of a thermostat device with a cover member according to one embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the thermostat device with the cover member of FIG. [Diagram 3] 3 is a cross-sectional view of the thermostat device with a cover member of FIG. 2 taken along the line AA. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of FIG. [Diagram 5]5 is a cross-sectional view of the thermostat device with a cover member of FIG. 2 taken along the line BB. [Figure 6] 6 is a cross-sectional view of the thermostat device with a cover member of FIG. 1 taken along the line CC. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A cover member and a thermostat device with this cover member according to one embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.

[0018] Fig. 1 is a side view of a thermostat device with a cover member according to this embodiment attached thereto, and Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the thermostat device with a cover member of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of the thermostat device with a cover member of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing an enlarged view of a portion of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB of the thermostat device with a cover member of Fig. 2. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC of the thermostat device with a cover member of FIG. 1, and FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing an enlarged portion of FIG.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 1, a thermostat device 100 with a cover member includes a thermostat device 10 and a cover member 1 attached to the thermostat device 10. The thermostat device 10 includes a cover member 1 is In the removed state, the thermostat device 10 is installed in the cooling circuit of a power plant such as an engine (internal combustion engine), a battery, or a fuel cell stack, and adjusts the temperature of the coolant. On the other hand, the cover member 1 is provided so that the thermostat device 10 is attached to the mating member (a water pump, a water jacket of the power plant, or the like) 10It is temporarily attached to the thermostat device 10 before the thermostat device 10 is assembled to a mating component (such as a component for mounting the thermostat device 10 or a component constituting a cooling circuit), and is removed from the thermostat device 10 when the thermostat device 10 is assembled to the mating component. Herein, a thermostat device with a cover member attached is referred to as a "thermostat device with cover member", and a thermostat device with the cover member removed is simply referred to as a "thermostat device".

[0020] First, there will be described the thermostat device 10. As described above, the thermostat device 10 is assembled to a mating member with the cover member 1 removed. As shown in FIG. 3, the thermostat device 10 comprises a housing 2, a thermo-element 17 having one end supported by the housing 2 and expanding and contracting in response to temperature, a valve body 15 that seats and leaves a valve seat 20b (described later) in the housing 2 in response to the expansion and contraction of the thermo-element 17, a coil spring 16 as a biasing member that biases the valve body 15 toward the valve seat 20b, a frame 19 that supports one end of the coil spring 16, and a guide member 26 that is hooked onto the frame 19 and guides a temperature-sensing case 30 (described later) of the thermo-element 17. Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the top and bottom of the thermostat device 10 shown in FIG. 3 will simply be referred to as "top" and "bottom".

[0021] In this embodiment, the housing 2 includes a cylindrical main body 20 having an opening 20c at its lower end (one end), a pair of flanges 3, 3 extending outward from the outer periphery of the lower end of the main body 20, and a pair of legs extending downward from the edge of the lower end opening of the main body 20 in opposing relation to each other. Department The main body 20 has a connection port 23 on the radiator side that extends obliquely upward from the top of the main body 20. When the thermostat device 10 is attached to a mating member, the coolant passes through the connection port 23, the inside of the main body 20, and the opening 20c, which together form a flow path 4 within the housing 2.

[0022] As shown in Fig. 2, one or two bolt holes 3a are formed in each of the pair of flanges 3, 3. A metal tube is press-fitted into the bolt hole 3a, and a bolt (not shown) for fixing the thermostat device 10 to a mating member is inserted into the tube. As shown in Fig. 3, an annular groove 20d is formed in the lower end opening edge of the main body 20 located inside the bolt hole 3a so as to surround the opening 20c, and a gasket 25 is attached to the groove 20d.

[0023] This gasket 25 seals between the thermostat device 10 and a mating member, and prevents the coolant flowing inside the housing 2 from leaking out when the thermostat device 10 is attached to the mating member. The inside of the gasket 25 in the main body 20 (the inner side) is the inside of the housing 2.

[0024] An annular valve seat 20b is formed on the inner periphery of the lower end opening edge of the main body 20 located inside the housing 2, and the flow path 4 is opened and closed by the valve element 15 being seated on and removed from this valve seat 20b.

[0025] A thermoelement 17 is inserted inside the housing 2. The thermoelement 17 is disposed along the axial line of the axial core of the main body 20. The thermoelement 17 includes a temperature-sensing case 30 that houses a temperature-sensing material such as wax whose volume changes according to temperature, and a piston 18 whose upper end is supported by the housing 2 and moves in and out of the temperature-sensing case 30 according to the change in volume of the temperature-sensing material. When the temperature of the cooling liquid around the temperature sensor case 30 rises and the internal temperature sensor expands, the piston 18 retreats from the temperature sensor case 30 and the thermo-element 17 extends. Conversely, when the temperature of the cooling liquid around the temperature sensor case 30 falls and the internal temperature sensor contracts, the piston 18 advances into the temperature sensor case 30 and the thermo-element 17 contracts. In this way, the thermo-element 17 expands and contracts according to the temperature.

[0026] The tip of the piston 18 located at the upper end of the thermo-element 17 fits into a cylindrical boss portion 20a formed on the inside top of the main body portion 20. This prevents the piston 18 from moving upward relative to the housing 2. Therefore, when the thermo-element 17 expands or contracts, the position of the piston 18 relative to the housing 2 does not change, and the temperature sensor case 30 moves up and down.

[0027] The valve element 15 is fixed to the outer periphery of the temperature sensing case 30. As a result, the valve element 15 moves up and down together with the temperature sensing case 30 as the thermo-element 17 expands and contracts. When the thermo-element 17 expands and the valve element 15 moves downward, the valve element 15 leaves the valve seat 20b, allowing the coolant to pass between them, allowing communication of the flow path 4. Conversely, when the thermo-element 17 contracts and the valve element 15 moves upward and seats on the valve seat 20b, communication of the flow path 4 is blocked. In this way, the valve element 15 opens and closes the flow path 4 by leaving and reseating from the valve seat 20b.

[0028] The upper end of a coil spring 16 abuts against the back surface of the valve body 15. The coil spring 16 is disposed so as to surround the thermo-element 17. The lower end of the coil spring 16 is supported by a frame 19.

[0029] The peripheral portion of the frame 19 is connected to a pair of legs formed on the housing 2. Department The frame 19 is prevented from moving downward relative to the housing 2 by the tip of the ribs 21, 21 being caught in the frame 19. Hole This penetration is formed. In the hole A cylindrical guide member 26 is inserted through the frame 19, and the temperature sensor case 30 is inserted inside the guide member 26 so as to be vertically movable. That is, the temperature sensor case 30 is vertically movable relative to the frame 19 while being guided by the guide member 26.

[0030] The guide member 26 has a cylindrical guide portion 26a into which the temperature sensor case 30 is inserted, and a flange portion 26b that protrudes from the upper end of the guide portion 26a toward the outer periphery. The flange portion 26b is hooked onto the frame 19 and is sandwiched between the frame 19 and the coil spring 16. This fixes the guide member 26 to the frame 19. The guide portion 26a is cylindrical and has openings at the top and bottom, and the guide portion 26a has a plurality of horizontal holes 26a1 that penetrate through its wall thickness. This allows the coolant to move freely between the inside and outside of the guide portion 26a.

[0031] The coil spring 16 is a compression spring, and is disposed in a compressed state between the valve body 15 and the frame 19. Therefore, the valve body 15 is biased upward (towards the valve seat 20b) by the coil spring 16. With this configuration, when the cooling liquid around the thermo-element 17 becomes hot and the thermo-element 17 expands, the valve body 15 moves downward against the biasing force of the coil spring 16 and moves away from the valve seat 20b. On the other hand, when the cooling liquid around the thermo-element 17 becomes cold and the thermo-element 17 contracts, the valve body 15 moves upward in accordance with the biasing force of the coil spring 16 and approaches the valve seat 20b.

[0032] Next, the cover member 1 of the present embodiment will be described in detail. As described above, the cover member 1 is attached to the thermostat device 10 at a stage before the thermostat device 10 is assembled to a mating member. More specifically, during the period from the end of the manufacturing process in which the thermostat device 10 is manufactured as a part to the start of the assembly process in which the thermostat device 10 is assembled to a mating member, 1 is It is temporarily attached to the thermostat device 10 and, together with the thermostat device 10, constitutes a thermostat device 100 with a cover member. Between the manufacturing process and the assembly process, there are included a storage process for storing the thermostat device 10, a transport process for moving and transporting the thermostat device 10, and the like.

[0033] The cover member 1 is made of, for example, PP (polypropylene), is transparent (including semi-transparent), and has a substantially uniform thickness throughout. In this embodiment, the cover member 1 includes a dish-shaped portion 11 and a cylindrical portion 12 that is integrally connected thereto.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 3, the dish-shaped portion 11 has a hole inserted in its center. Hole This insertion In the hole The pair of legs 21, 21 are inserted through the dish-shaped portion 11 when the cover member 1 is attached to the thermostat device 10. As shown in FIG. 2, the dish-shaped portion 11 is disposed so as to cover the gasket 25 when the cover member 1 is attached to the thermostat device 10.

[0035] In this embodiment, gasket 25 has an annular seal portion 25c disposed so as to surround opening 20c of housing 2, and a plurality of protrusions 25a, 25b protruding outward from the outer periphery of seal portion 25c. In gasket 25, seal portion 25c essentially functions as a seal member that seals between housing 2 and a mating member, and dish-shaped portion 11 is formed so as to cover the entire seal portion 25c. Furthermore, the projections 25a, 25b are set to a length that causes them to protrude outward from the dish-shaped portion 11. In this embodiment, one projection 25a is set to a length that causes it to protrude outward from the housing 2 as well. This makes the projection 25a stand out and easily visible even in a covered thermostat device 100 in which the cover member 1 is attached to the thermostat device 10.

[0036] The cylindrical portion 12 is inserted into the dish-shaped portion 11. Hole It stands up from the edge of the opening. 3 2, in the present embodiment, the cylindrical portion 12 is a bottomed cylindrical portion, and the lower end is closed. Then, with the cover member 1 attached to the thermostat device 10, the pair of legs 21, 21 and the guide member 26 are inserted into the cylindrical portion 12. The lower part of the cylindrical part 12 is a small diameter part 12a whose inner diameter and outer diameter are smaller than those of the other parts. A guide part 26a of a guide member 26 is inserted into the inside of this small diameter part 12a. The inner diameter of the small diameter part 12a is larger than the outer diameter of the guide part 26a, so that the guide part 26a is inserted into the inside of the small diameter part 12a without resistance.

[0037] Moreover, in the cylindrical portion 12, a portion facing the pair of leg portions 21, 21 of the thermostat device 10 to which the cover member 1 is attached forms a bellows portion 13. That is, the cylindrical portion 12 is provided with a pair of bellows portions 13, 13 corresponding to the pair of leg portions 21, 21. If the portions continuing in the circumferential direction of the pair of bellows portions 13, 13 are respectively defined as intermediate portions 12b, the pair of bellows portions 13, 13 are disposed on the outer circumferential side (the side away from the center of the cover member 1) of the intermediate portions 12b and are elastically deformable.

[0038] The pair of bellows portions 13, 13 have a tightening margin with respect to the pair of legs 21, 21. As a result, when the cover member 1 is attached to the thermostat device 10, the pair of legs 21, 21 are inserted into the tubular portion 12 while elastically deforming the bellows portion 13. In this manner, the pair of legs 21, 21 are press-fitted between the pair of bellows portions 13, 13 of the tubular portion 12, so that the cover member 1 is held in the thermostat device 10.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 4, bellows portion 13 has a shape in which mountain-like bent portions and valley-like bent portions are alternately connected up and down, and each of the bent portions is curved.

[0040] Additionally, an inward protrusion 14 is provided on the inner periphery of the cylindrical portion 12 at a position that is above the frame 19 when the cover member 1 is attached to the thermostat device 10. In this embodiment, four inward protrusions 14 are provided on the middle portion 12b, lined up in the circumferential direction. The surface shape of the inward protrusions 14 is spherical. As described above, the thickness of the cover member 1 is approximately uniform over the entire surface. one When the cylindrical portion 12 is viewed from the outside, the portions corresponding to the inward protrusions 14 are recessed. Like the bellows portion 13, each of the inward protrusions 14 is elastically deformable. When the cover member 1 is attached to the thermostat device 10, the frame 19 passes over the inner protrusion 14 and contacts the inner protrusion 14. downward When the frame 19 exceeds the inner protrusion 14, the frame 19 moves to the inner protrusion 14. downward When the frame 19 moves to the inside, it elastically deforms the inward protrusion 14. After the frame 19 climbs over the inward protrusion 14, the inward protrusion 14 returns to its original shape due to its own elasticity.

[0041] As described above, the cover member 1 of the present embodiment is detachably attached to the thermostat device 10, and together with the thermostat device 10, constitutes a thermostat device with a cover member 100. The thermostat device 10 includes a main body 20 having an opening 20c at one end and a groove 20d formed so as to surround the opening 20c, and a cover member 20a located inside the groove 20d. Extending downward from the lower opening edge in opposing directions The cover member 1 includes a housing 2 having a pair of legs 21, 21, and a gasket 25 that fits into the groove 20d. The cover member 1 also includes an insertion hole 25 through which the pair of legs 21, 21 are inserted. Hole A dish-shaped portion 11 that covers the gasket 25, The dish-shaped portion 11 Insertion Hole The bellows portion 13 is formed in a portion of the cylindrical portion 12 facing the leg portions 21. The bellows portion 13 is formed in a portion of the cylindrical portion 12 facing the leg portions 21. The bellows portion 13 is formed in a portion of the cylindrical portion 12 facing the leg portions 21.

[0042] According to the above configuration, when the cover member 1 is attached to the thermostat device 10, i.e., in the state of the thermostat device 100 with a cover member, the gasket 25 is covered by the dish-shaped portion 11. Therefore, by attaching the cover member 1 to the thermostat device 10 to form the thermostat device 100 with a cover member, it is possible to reliably prevent the gasket 25 from falling off due to vibrations during transportation, etc.

[0043] Also, according to the above configuration, the cover member 1 is held in the thermostat device 10 by press-fitting the legs 21 into the elastically deformable bellows portion 13, so that the cover member 1 can be easily attached to and detached from the thermostat device 10. Furthermore, providing the cover member 1 with the bellows portion 13 enables the cover member 1 to be attached to the thermostat device 10, so that the cover member 1 can be formed by an inexpensive method such as blow molding. Therefore, the cover member 1 and the thermostat device 100 with the cover member can be produced inexpensively. The molding method and material of the cover member 1 can be changed as appropriate.

[0044] Moreover, according to the cover member 1 and the thermostat device with cover member 100 of this embodiment, the lower end (one end) of the cylindrical portion 12 of the cover member 1 is closed. This prevents foreign matter such as dust and dirt from entering the cover member 1, and prevents the foreign matter from mixing into the coolant after the thermostat device 10 is assembled to the mating member. Furthermore, it prevents the coolant from leaking due to foreign matter getting caught between the valve body 15 and the valve seat 20b, or between the gasket 25 and the mating member. This is particularly effective when it is necessary to reliably prevent leakage of coolant or when the thermostat device 10 is exposed to a dusty environment, but an opening may also be provided at the lower end (one end) of the tubular portion 12 or in other parts.

[0045] In the present embodiment, the thermostat device 10 includes a valve seat 20 formed inside the main body 20. b The thermoelement 17 has an upper end (one end) supported by the main body 20 and expands and contracts depending on the temperature. The thermoelement 17 expands and contracts depending on the valve seat 20. b The valve body 15 is seated on and off the valve seat 20. b A coil spring (biasing member) 16 biases the load toward the load side, and the coil spring is supported by a pair of legs 21, 21. 16and a frame 19 supporting a lower end (one end) of the cover member 1. Furthermore, an inward protrusion 14 that protrudes inward is formed on the cylindrical portion 12, and this inward protrusion 14 is located above the frame 19 (toward the main body portion 20) when the cover member 1 is attached to the thermostat device 10. When the cover member 1 is attached to or detached from the thermostat device 10, the inward protrusion 14 comes into contact with the frame 19, and the inward protrusion 14 elastically deforms.

[0046] According to the above configuration, when the cover member 1 is removed from the thermostat device 10, the frame 19 interferes with the inward convex portion 14, thereby preventing the cover member 1 from unintentionally coming off the thermostat device 10 due to vibrations during transportation, etc. Incidentally, since the cover member 1 is held in the thermostat device 10 by hooking the inward protrusion 14 onto the frame 19, in such a case, the bellows portion 13 may be eliminated and the pair of legs 21, 21 may be inserted into the tubular portion 12. Even in this case, the cover member 1 can be easily attached to and detached from the thermostat device 10. Furthermore, since the cover member 1 is provided with the inward protrusion 14, it is possible to attach the cover member 1 to the thermostat device 10, so that the cover member 1 can be formed by an inexpensive method such as blow molding. Therefore, the cover member 1 and the thermostat device 100 with the cover member can be produced inexpensively.

[0047] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the surface shape of the inward protrusion 14 is spherical. Therefore, even if the hooking allowance between the inward protrusion 14 and the frame 19 is increased to make the cover member 1 less likely to come off from the thermostat device 10, it is possible to prevent the cover member 1 from becoming difficult to attach to the thermostat device 10. In other words, it is easy to ensure the hooking allowance between the inward protrusion 14 and the frame 19, and the cover member 1 can be made less likely to come off without compromising its attachability.

[0048] Also, in this embodiment, the portion of the tubular portion 12 located outside the inward protrusion 14 is recessed. With this configuration, the thickness of the inward protrusion 14 can be made the same as the other portions, making it easy to form the cover member 1 by blow molding. Furthermore, since the inward protrusion 14 can be easily elastically deformed, it is possible to prevent the cover member 1 from becoming difficult to attach to the thermostat device 10 even if the hooking allowance between the inward protrusion 14 and the frame 19 is increased. In other words, with the above configuration, it is possible to make the cover member 1 less likely to come off without impairing its attachability.

[0049] The shape, thickness, number, and position of the inward protrusions 14 can be changed as appropriate. If the setting of the tightening margin of the bellows portion 13, etc., can sufficiently prevent the cover member 1 from unintentionally coming off the thermostat device 10, the inward protrusions 14 may be omitted.

[0050] In this embodiment, gasket 25 is formed with projections 25a, 25b that project outward from dish-shaped portion 11. With this configuration, it is easy to visually confirm that gasket 25 is attached even when cover member 1 is attached to thermostat device 10. This is particularly effective when cover member 1 is opaque or when gasket 25 is difficult to visually confirm from the outside of cover member 1 even if cover member 1 is transparent, but if gasket 25 is securely attached, projections 25a, 25b may be omitted.

[0051] Here, the protrusions 25a and 25b are also used for the purpose of fitting an irregularly shaped (non-circular) gasket 25 into the groove 20d in the correct orientation. In such a case, if the protrusion 25a protrudes outward from the housing 2, there is a risk that the gasket 25 may come off by getting caught on the protrusion 25a when handling the thermostat device 10. Therefore, when the cover member 1 is attached, the gasket 25 does not come off easily even if the protrusion 25a is caught, so it is particularly effective to attach the cover member 1 to the thermostat device 10 having the gasket 25 with the protrusion 25a. The shape of the gasket 25 may be a perfect circle. The projections 25a and 25b may be long enough to be hidden by the dish-shaped portion 11, or may be omitted.

[0052] In the present embodiment, the portions of bellows portion 13 that bend into a mountain shape and the portions that bend into a valley shape are curved and R-shaped. Therefore, even if the tightening margin of bellows portion 13 with respect to leg portion 21 is increased to make cover member 1 less likely to come off from thermostat device 10, it is possible to prevent cover member 1 from becoming difficult to attach to thermostat device 10. In other words, the above configuration also makes it possible to make cover member 1 less likely to come off without impairing the attachability of cover member 1. The number, shape and pitch of the mountain-shaped bent portions and valley-shaped bent portions of the bellows portion 13 can be changed as appropriate.

[0053] In the present embodiment, the legs 21 are press-fitted into the cylindrical portion 12, and portions of the thermostat device 10 other than the legs 21 do not interfere with the cover member 1. For this reason, the cover member 1 can be easily attached to and detached from the thermostat device 10. However, in the cover member 1, for example, the bellows portion is provided in the small diameter portion 12a. 13 21, and the guide portion 26a of the guide member 26 may be press-fitted into the inside of the guide portion 26a. In this manner, the portions of the thermostat device 10 other than the leg portions 21 may be press-fitted into the cover member 1.

[0054] Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above, modifications, variations and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the appended claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0055] 1 Cover member 2. Housing 10 Thermostat device 11 Dish-shaped part 12 Cylindrical part 12a Small diameter section 12b Middle part 13 Bellows section 14 Inside Convex 15 Valve body 16 Coil spring (biasing member) 19 Frame 20 Main body 20b Valve seat 20d groove 21 Legs 25 Gasket 25a protrusion 25b protrusion 100 Thermostat device with cover member

Claims

1. A cover member detachably attached to a thermostat device, the cover member comprising: a housing having a main body portion with an opening at one end and a groove formed so as to surround the opening; and a pair of legs standing opposite each other from one end of the main body portion inside the groove; and a gasket that fits into the groove, a dish-shaped portion having an insertion hole through which the pair of legs are inserted on the inside and covering the gasket; a cylindrical portion that stands up from an opening edge of the insertion hole and into which the pair of legs are press-fitted, A bellows portion is formed in a portion of the cylindrical portion facing the leg portion. A cover member characterized by:

2. The thermostat device includes: a valve seat formed inside the body; A thermoelement, one end of which is supported by the main body and which expands and contracts in response to temperature; a valve body that is seated on and separated from the valve seat in response to expansion and contraction of the thermo-element; A biasing member that biases the valve body toward the valve seat; a frame supported by the pair of legs to support one end of the biasing member, The cylindrical portion is formed with an inward protrusion that protrudes inward, the inward protrusion is located closer to the body portion than the frame when the cover member is attached to the thermostat device, When the cover member is attached to or detached from the thermostat device, the inner protrusion comes into contact with the frame, and the inner protrusion is elastically deformed. The cover member according to claim 1 .

3. a housing having a main body having an opening at one end and a groove formed so as to surround the opening, and a pair of legs standing opposite each other from one end of the main body inside the groove; a gasket fitted in the groove; a valve seat formed inside the main body; a thermoelement having one end supported by the main body and expanding and contracting in response to temperature; a valve body that seats on and leaves the valve seat in response to the expansion and contraction of the thermoelement; a biasing member that biases the valve body towards the valve seat; and a frame that is supported by the pair of legs and supports one end of the biasing member, a dish-shaped portion having an insertion hole through which the pair of legs are inserted on the inside and covering the gasket; a cylindrical portion that stands up from an opening edge of the insertion hole and into which the pair of legs are inserted, The cylindrical portion is formed with an inward protrusion that protrudes inward, the inward protrusion is located closer to the body portion than the frame when the cover member is attached to the thermostat device, When the cover member is attached to or detached from the thermostat device, the inner protrusion comes into contact with the frame, and the inner protrusion is elastically deformed. A cover member characterized by:

4. One end of the cylindrical portion is closed. The cover member according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The surface shape of the inward convex portion is spherical. A cover member according to claim 2, claim 3 or claim 4 dependent on claim 2 or 3.

6. A portion of the cylindrical portion located outside the inward protrusion is recessed. A cover member according to claim 2, claim 3, claim 4 or claim 5 depending on claim 2 or 3.

7. The gasket is formed with a protrusion that protrudes outward from the dish-shaped portion.

7. The cover member according to claim 1, wherein the cover member is a flexible member.

8. a housing including a main body having an opening at one end and a groove formed so as to surround the opening, and a pair of legs standing opposite each other from one end of the main body inside the groove; a gasket fitted in the groove; and a dish-shaped portion having an insertion hole through which the pair of legs are inserted on the inside and covering the gasket; a cover member including a cylindrical portion that stands up from an opening edge of the insertion hole and into which the pair of legs are press-fitted, A bellows portion is formed in a portion of the cylindrical portion facing the leg portion. A thermostat device with a cover member.

9. a housing including a main body having an opening at one end and a groove formed so as to surround the opening, and a pair of legs standing opposite each other from the one end of the main body inside the groove; A gasket that fits into the groove; a valve seat formed inside the body; A thermoelement, one end of which is supported by the main body and which expands and contracts in response to temperature; a valve body that is seated on and separated from the valve seat in response to expansion and contraction of the thermo-element; A biasing member that biases the valve body toward the valve seat; a frame supported by the pair of legs to support one end of the biasing member; and a dish-shaped portion having an insertion hole through which the pair of legs are inserted on the inside and covering the gasket; a cover member including a cylindrical portion that stands up from an opening edge of the insertion hole and into which the pair of legs are inserted, The cylindrical portion is formed with an inward protrusion that protrudes inward, the inward protrusion is located closer to the body portion than the frame when the cover member is attached to the thermostat device, When the cover member is attached to or detached from the thermostat device, the inner protrusion comes into contact with the frame, and the inner protrusion is elastically deformed. A thermostat device with a cover member.

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